Funding For Games
Tag: Africa
Marvellous Mena
Carry1st’s Guillaume Noé: "Esports is to gaming what Formula 1 is to the car industry"
New Partnerships
Mastercard and Tamatem partner on gaming payments across MENA and Africa
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Anniversary
"We were born out of the restructuring of an animation company and we always believed in the power of storytelling"
We catch up with Sea Monster CEO and co-founder Glenn Gillis as the company celebrates its 15th anniversary amidst the changing African games market
Academy Rebrand
GameUp Africa rebrands as GameUp Academy with always-on learning platform
The academy is moving from a fixed boot camp model to an always-on learning platform
Industry Report
Africa and Middle East games market forecast to reach $8.5bn as African gamer base hits 406m
Mobile is forecast to generate 81.8% of Africa’s games revenue in 2026
Going Global
Maliyo Games unveils first-ever Games from Nigeria pavilion at Gamescom 2026
The pavilion will host a three-day programme of showcases, presentations and networking events
Expanded Support
Chroma Pixel Games expands support for SADC game studios
The company is planning a SADC-wide matchmaking initiative for studios, publishers and investors
Global Game Jam
Global Game Jam's Maria Burns Ortiz: "We compare our first drafts to other people's finished products"
Global Game Jam's Maria Burns Ortiz on why Micro Missions is giving emerging developers their first step into the games industry.
Creative Cadence
Cadence: Musical Playgrounds is a "time capsule to how games used to be" 13 years in the making
Peter Cardwell-Gardner’s long-term project targets puzzle fans and the musically minded
Funding For Games
Supercell opens applications for Africa-focused developer grants
Equity-free grants range from $20,000 to $200,000
Funding For Games
Google launches $1m Indie Games Fund for African developers
Ten indie game studios will receive between $50,000 and $200,000 each
Marvellous Mena
Ouaz Games on surviving hypercasual's collapse and the rise of browser games
"I see new studios with no capital trying to ship console or Steam titles because they think that's what makes you a 'real' studio"
Going Global
Nigeria to bring first-ever developer delegation and booth to Gamescom 2026
The delegation is led by Maliyo Games founder Hugo Obi
Lagos Games Week
“The studios that thrive will not be those that resist AI. They will be those that learn how to use it effectively"
Maliyo Games CEO Hugo Obi told Lagos Games Week the studios that thrive will use AI rather than resist it
Lagos Games Week Takeaways
5 takeaways from Lagos Games Week 2026: Packed halls, stronger panels and embracing AI as a tool
We round up the key trends and talking points from this week's big show in Nigeria
Hot Five
Hot Five: EA Advertising, Roblox Kids accounts, and six months of Where Winds Meet on mobile
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Lagos Games Week
African games industry has moved from potential to production says Maliyo CEO Hugo Obi
Maliyo Games CEO Hugo Obi used his Lagos Games Week keynote to argue the African games industry has entered a production era
Events
Lagos Games Week 2026 kicks off two days of talks, exhibitions and showcases
The event centres on connecting African game development talent with global markets, under the theme "Play Without Borders”
Developer Training
Maliyo Games' GameUp Africa has trained 6,000 devs in five years
A new impact report tracks five years of building one of Africa's largest game development programmes
Global Ambition
Afrime Studios founders on funding Unyverse and building for 670m players of colour
“We've been in rooms where the vision is clear, the opportunity is clear, and you still feel the weight of scepticism that isn't evenly distributed"
Africa Is Mobile
"If players are not consistently returning and genuinely enjoying the experience, no payment model will succeed"
Maliyo Games’ founder Hugo Obi on mobile monetisation in Africa, execution gaps and why retention matters more than pricing
Africa Is Mobile
Deluxe Creation Studios’ Shola Edu on monetisation in Africa, global audiences and what actually drives revenue
“The goal is to build something that feels genuinely African and is good enough that the rest of the world wants in”
Africa Is Mobile
Why monetisation in Africa is still a retention problem
"The studios that win here will be the ones who understood the conditions that actually exist, not the ones chasing a market size number that doesn't reflect their reality"
Africa Is Mobile
"Ads remain the most common and viable monetisation model across Africa's gaming markets today"
Michael Oscar Esio shares his perspective on game monetisation, player behaviour and growth opportunities in Africa
Africa Is Mobile
"After our five years of tests, we think only hybrid monetisation will work in Africa"
Kiro'o Games CEO Olivier Madiba discusses the realities of game monetisation in Africa, player behaviour and long-term growth across the continent
Funding News
Afrime Studios enters seed round after raising $400,000 to build afrofuturistic RPG Unyverse
The studio is targeting an estimated 670m gamers of African descent globally
Marvellous Mena
"Cultural relevance matters, but so does international production quality"
Dawn of Game’s co-founder Gilbert Ewangue talks self-funded development, community growth and building Kwat Fou
Monetisation In Africa
Africa’s monetisation debate: founders weigh in on mobile, PC, and the realities of game revenue
Several founders warn that treating Africa as a single gaming market ignores the continent’s diverse economic and payment realities
Industry Views
Africacomicade founder warns PC is not Africa’s monetisation solution
While mobile monetisation faces constraints, Michael Oscar Esio says PC carries its own systemic barriers
Industry Outlook
Masseka Games founder Teddy Kossoko on why mobile gaming monetisation might be failing in Africa
“We came to realise that some companies in Africa inflate mobile gaming statistics by including betting and gambling activities”
Africa Is Mobile
Mobile leads as Africa’s games industry generated $2.29bn in 2025
Google Play continues to dominate mobile distribution across Africa, while Apple App Store retains a smaller but higher-value audience in select markets
Marvellous Mena
How MENA studios can attract funding in 2026
Securing capital this year will require more than creative ambition alone
Best Of 2025
Isa Muhammad's top stories of 2025: Saudi Arabia’s $55bn EA bid, Roblox growth, Netflix’s Warner Bros gamble, and more
PocketGamer.biz MENA reporter Isa Muhammad revisits his top stories from 2025
Developer Support
Supercell to launch new grants programme for African game developers
The programme will officially launch in 2026 with non-dilutive grants ranging from $20,000 to $200,000
Recognition
IGDA Foundation Names Margaret Gathoni 2025 Eric Dybsand AI Scholar
The program supports one AI student each year to advance the next wave of engineering talent
Job News
Jason Avent joins QA studio Six Peaks Games as founder and non-executive director
Six Peaks specialises in embedded QA teams that integrate directly with development pipelines
Accelerator Program
Maliyo Games launches Creator Academy Accelerator to help aspiring creators in games
The 4-week programme includes curated learning materials, weekly challenges, and peer feedback
Africa Is Mobile
Report: Egypt leads Africa’s games market with $368m in revenue
Nigeria tops the continent in player count with 46.5m gamers generating nearly $300m
Marvellous Mena
Gbrossoft CEO Mudathir Giwa on Outliver: Tribulation, creative resilience, and expanding to new platforms
"The key lies in incentivising games and building awareness among Africa’s young and tech-savvy population"
Africa Is Mobile
Android Port Challenge backs African developers in bringing PC and console games to mobile
Three standout indie studios were selected for the prototype grant
Gamathon Takeaways
Five takeaways from Gamathon 25: Game dev realities, funding hurdles, XR hopes, and room for optimism
We analyse some of the top stories and trends from one of Africa's biggest games events
Industry Recognition
Maliyo Games featured by Apple to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day
Safari City, Crazy Ludo, Whot King, and Secret Letter were spotlighted
Gamathon 25
"Every small game you create and release teaches you something the previous game never did"
Fer Factor CEO and founder Feranmi Oladosu shares his belief on why smaller projects can trump grand ideas
Games In Africa
Gamathon 25 kicks off in Lagos Nigeria
The week-long event celebrates African digital creativity and youth empowerment
Marvellous Mena
Kucheza Gaming CEO Bukola Akingbade on building Africa’s future through play and education
"African studios must build business models that can sustain themselves right from day one"
Training Camp
Maliyo Games opens applications for 2025 GameUp Africa Bootcamp
12-week remote program covers game art, design, and audio
Marvellous Mena
"I was pleasantly surprised that singers actually want to be in video games"
Masseka Games founder Teddy Kossoko on building a mobile game that monetises celebrity feuds
Marvellous Mena
Mekan Games founder Evans Kiragu on targeting global markets, prototyping strategy and embracing web-first development
"While funding is good and welcomed, it is a full-time job as well to get it."
Marvellous Mena
How African game studios can compete globally
“We need to attract our diaspora back or collaborate with international partners to upskill and polish local talents"